Letters from George Leslie Makin to his family, 1917-1918 - Part 13

can imagine the slush.
We are comfortable enough here & my
thoughts are continually with the poor
old boys over the water.
I suppose you think I am quite mad,
but I want to be there with them, even
if the winter was worse there than it
was last year & that would be making
it pretty bad.
I told Ruby that I had received the snap
shots alright & that I thought they were
very good.
You don't seem to have altered much
Mother & I am real glad to have a
photo of you looking so well & happy.
Did anyone else ever tell you that you that you
looked too severe in that other photo.
Jim told me that you had sent him £9
for Christmas & he seemed so happy, for it
would enable him to have an enjoyable
time. He is quite well off now since 
he got his promotion.
No more news just now so goodbye with
all my love to you dear Mother
from Les. 

Same Place
14/2/18
My own dear Mother
Since last writing I have
received four letters from you. The first is
dated 21/10/17 & the others are in between
that & the latest 15/12/17 that you sent
to me c/o Jim.
I have also received your parcel & Rubys
scarf. Both the socks & the scarf are
just the thing & I thank you both ever
so much for them & the loving wishes
they bring.
You are certainly some knitter, but if they
were badly made & uncomfortable
instead of being "just the ticket", I would
wear them while they hung together,
just because your dear hands made
them.
I think that I have now received
all your letters & parcels, although
they took so long to come.
You will see that I am still in
England. My C.O. seems determined
to keep me here for a spell.  He was
very nice about it & said that he
didn't know anybody who needed

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a rest more & advised me to make the
most of it, as there would be plenty to
do when I got back.
By all accounts the Germans are
preparing for an offensive on a large
scale, but I say "Let 'em all come".
It's much better to be attacked than
attack, & it's lovely to get those grey
devils coming across "No man's land"
in close order. The eastern market
isn't in it then. I sent a few of them
to Hell when I had the machine guns,
but there's still a lot left yet.
Things are getting very serious here now
on account of the U. boats.
Food is terribly scare & it is not
possible to buy, sugar, butter, margarine,
or meat, except on production of a
ration card.
When we go on leave we have to take
our own sugar etc, as the restaurants
have none.
Prices are sky high for everything,
particularly clothing & boots.
But is spite of all, everyone seems
confident of victory. If we can check 

the submarines we'll surely beat them
in the field.
I was surprised to hear that Will Slattery

had left H.S.Co. Hope he makes good.

As far as I know Gordon Sterling has

gone home. He's lucky to be finished

with this, but he deserves anything, for

he's one of the finest lads who came

away.

I expect you are very disappointed about

me not getting back for a spell, but

I'd sooner see it out now than come 

home & away again.

I'm just dying to see you all again, &

if that happy day does come along,

I'll be like you, just about too excited

to live.

Its' some time since I saw Jim, but he's

quite O.K. I hope to see him in a

week or so. No, I haven't been to

Church with him. I don't think we've

spent a Sunday together yet, but I

went to Mass at Westminster Cathedral,

on that day of Universal prayer.

I went with a girl I met at Wandsworth

last year. I don't know whether I ever

told you that I went to confession &

communion, whilst on the Somme last 

year. I meant to, I know, but am

not sure now whether I did or not.

I've been to Mass regularly ever since,

but I can't claim any credit for that

as Church parade is compulsory.

I'm afraid dear Mother that some of

my recent letters have been rather

depressing & I'm ever so sorry if I

have made you miserable at all,

for although I have been shockingly

"fed up" during the last few months,

I'm pretty cheerful now & am almost

quite recovered from the fever.

I felt so ashamed when I read your

cheery letters, that I could have kicked

myself for worrying you with my

troubles.

You're a most wonderful Mother, who

has never, during all these years

written anything but a brave, and

encouraging letter, even though your

poor heart was  breaking, but Jim & 

I knew know, & we are both very proud

of our darling Mother.

Fondest love & kisses

from Les.

Warminster

England

13/3/18

Dearest Mother

Since my last letter to you

I have received yours dated 4/1/18. I'm

expecting another one any day now.

I am still in "Blighty" & it's not so

bad now that the fine weather is

coming.

If they insist on my completing the

six months here I have another

two months to put in.

I don't mind now, as I know I 

shall miss nothing in the way of

promotion while here.

My captaincy seems as far off as

ever, although it is 13 months since

I was recommended for it. But

I can't go up till there's a vacancy,

& seeing they are my own chums

ahead, I'd sooner remain as I am

rather than take a dead man's

place.

I've just finished my monthly

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four days leave, or at least it should

come once a month, but last Monday

was the first time I had seen Jim

for three months.

He looks well and I believe is happy

enough now. He has applied for

an officer's school, but don't know 

whether he will have any luck

or not.

If he gets it, of course it will mean

France again, but there's no need

to worry for the course lasts

several months, even if he does

get it, which is by no means

certain.

Last Sunday morning I went to

Church at Westminster Cathedral

with my girl friend from Wandsworth.

The 10.30 service there is a wonderful

sight. I'd love you to see it, for

you have no idea of the size of

the church, & the choir etc, are all

in proportion.

There is really truth in the reports

3

that some of the old hands are to be

sent home for a 6 months spell.

4 N.C.O's from the 5^th left last week,

but so far no Officers have been sent.

Married men of course have the

preference, but barring accidents,

my turn should come along in 

time.

I can hardly bear to think about

it, for it seems too good to be true.

I'm pretty well recovered from the

fever now, but it just needs the trip

home, & the sight of you all again

to fix me up properly.

Jim showed me that old photo I

had taken with poor old Vic, about

3 years ago in Egypt, & its hard to

recognize me from it now, for I

was fat & well then, but now

although I am pretty fit, I'm not

half the man I was then.

I'm enclosing a snap, taken in

the woods just behind the camp,

so you can judge for yourself.

I've got a camera now & when the

weather is more suitable, I'll send

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you quite a lot of snaps.

The old war seems to be going just

as strong as ever. Just now the

fighting is all in the air & the

women & kiddies of all countries

are suffering in consequence.

Paris has been bombed twice during

the last week & London once.

The German towns on the Rhine have

suffered also, & it seems that each

side is trying to outdo the other

in the way of damage to civilian

life & property.

In fact both sides are getting more

savage each month & this year

will surely see some slaughter,

(mostly Bosche).
The Germans have been frantically
advertising a great offensive, but
up till now it has been pure bluff.
I don't think he's got a decent push
left in him.
He's always been a great one for
spectacular victories, & all his
recent successes have been against

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Russia & Italy, & he took good care

to first almost ruin both countries

first by causing political trouble

& revolution.

His only offensive on the western

front since the early days of the

war was at Verdun & what an 

expensive failure that was for him.

If he throws troops against the

western front, he'll get them

slaughtered & nobody knows it

better than he does.

When he couldn't break through

in 1914, when he had men &

guns & we had none, what

hope has he got now, with all

the odds in our favor.

He is relying on the U. Boats & they

are playing old Harry it's true, but

they will never have the desired

effect.

I don't know what you hear about

the spirit of the English people,

but it's a fact that everybody

here is confident of victory &